Fatality at Muir

Interesting that despite the fall-line from Camp Muir leading to the Nisqually Glacier canyon, many, if not most of the victims and survivors end up east of the ascent route, probably due to the strong prevailing wind.  I recall a fellow back in the 70's, storm-separated from his winter climbing partners just below Muir, who pounded on the Ohana ranger's door ten nights later.

If you decend on the left side of the Muir Snowfield, you'll have a tendency to flow to the Paradise Glacier.

The Muir Snowfield is so huge, it's easy to get disoreinted in white out conditions.

My first time descending the snowfield in a whiteout, I too, started dropping down toward the Paradise Glacier before a break of ~10m visibility revealed enough rock for me to figure out what was going on. It's easy to do. The natural desire to avoid the Nisqually, the prevailing wind direction, and the slight right-hand turn that the ridgeline makes all contribute to the left-trending tendency, methinks.

After a few more trips in the clouds, I decided to make a contribution to the Garmin corporations' coffers. I've not needed the GPS (with waypoints marked on a clear day), but it's worth the weight, to me, to have one more ace up my sleeve should my trusty reckoning/compass/map/memory skills fail me.

In previous posts on this thread, beyond condolences, it has been encouraged that we might learn from this very, very unfortunate event. I keep mulling this over in my head again and again, especially after having read Amar's harrowing experience at the summit earlier this season and then venturing up to Muir myself just yesterday. It has been a very sobering thought. The question I have now is, what are some ideas for surviving such a situation if you were suddenly be thrust into such a situation. The only thing I can initially come up with for protection from the snow is to lay your pack down in the trench as an insulation layer. Other thoughts?

Pack under you could be a good idea. Their huddling was certainly a good idea to conserve and share warmth. Also, carrying that shovel even if weather looks good, and at least a foam sit pad. My ski pack has one built in as its back "frame". Waterproof ski pants or climbing pants and parka and overmitts and second mittens or gloves and a puffy jacket and waterproof warm hat and balaclava. Also a mylar space blanket at less than an ounce. Extra food for calories to burn and some movement might help too. A thermos of tea and a bivy sack among a group would be great but unlikely for a day hike or ski in "summer" when it is so nice to travel lighter. These have gotten me though unplanned overnights or cold stops.

From past igloo, cave and snow trench building I think it also helps stamp down the snow quarry base and let it set up (re-freeze denser) for at least 15 minutes before cutting it, but this is no doubt not an option in a raging blizzard with drifting snow. Sloping to drain might be. Cutting blocks (I carry knotted twine for this) for an A-frame top is a great fairly quick way to warm up a trench, but but blizzard conditions would likely preclude. A trench really beats a cave for quickness and keeping dry (not sweating so much and not crawling in the snow) while building it. See www.usap.gov/travelanddeployment/documen...pt11snowshelters.pdf

On Muir snowfield, I've been caught by storms in spring that separated our group in zero visibiltity, requiring each to make it to Camp Muir solely by absolute trust in compass bearing and altimeter with frequent checks. The wind and cross slope make it feel like the bearing is all wrong when you can't see. Then arrived at Camp Muir and couldn't figure out which building was the shelter because it was so drifted over and nearly couldn't get out of a steep gully among drifts within 30 feet of the shelter, thinking this would be a really stupid way to die after getting this close. Sometimes in winter it requires a fixed line just from the shelter to the toilet, and one winter trip we had to dig out space in the shelter because the (old) door had blown open and it filled with snow floor to ceiling wall to wall. Also had a descent in an ice storm that coated us in rime like a Bering Sea crab boat. Couldn't find the wands, boot track obliterated, and I had yellow goggles but had to scrape the ice off every 5 minutes to read the compass and see a few feet. By the time we were back at Paradise it was sunny and warm, like when we started up. Storms really do come up fast, and even more so on the Emmons side because you can't see them building on the south side. I can totally understand being off course and unable to get back on track, and how they could be quickly overwhelmed by circumstances. Much sympathy for the families in this tragedy.

Teleshichica

Hmmm here's somethings I've done and that I carry all the time when I'm on snow ( I'm on skis if I'm on snow), snow cave not trench (means you need a shovel with you), loosen your boots, a light weight emergency bivouac sack, small foam pad shaped to fit against back of pack, put your feet and legs inside pack sit in snow cave on pad huddle together inside bivouac sack, light candle. Not suggesting this would work every time or this time.

This is pretty sad, I'm sure there are some serious emotional and physical injuries for these people and of course the couple's children won't have their father.

my condolences to friends and family.

greg

The question I have now is, what are some ideas for surviving such a situation if you were suddenly be thrust into such a situation. The only thing I can initially come up with for protection from the snow is to lay your pack down in the trench as an insulation layer. Other thoughts?

I think the most important piece of survival gear for a spring day trip to Muir is a shovel. (I wonder if the party had one.) You need to get into a cave, not just a trench. A trench won't cut the wind unless you can cover it really well with a tarp.

Without a shovel, you need to think really hard about your risk of spending the night out. That means turning back sooner on the way up or spending the night at Muir if there's a risk of whiteout on the way down.